Two new charges on Langara’s arson suspect

Reported by Kirsten Clarke and Taesa Hodel

The suspect arrested for the Langara arson attacks is now facing two new additional charges after a court appearance Friday.

Nasradin Abdusamad Ali, 23, was originally accused of one count of arson of and one count of possession of incendiary material.

He was also charged Friday with a new assault charge and a robbery charge. Both of the incidents from the new charges arise from alleged incidents that occurred last month.

On April 1, students and staff at Langara were ordered evacuated from campus buildings after timed incendiary devices set off fires in the second and fifth floors in the T Building.

The new assault charge occurred on March 7 on the Langara campus and was not reported to the police until after the arson took place.

The alleged robbery on March 26 occurred near campus. Police said the suspect robbed another Langara student at a bus stop on East 53 Avenue and Fleming Street.

“The robbery was reported to the VPD on the day of the incident and detectives have since been able to collect enough evidence for Crown to lay a robbery charge against Ali,” said Const. Jason Doucette with the Vancouver police.

In a statement, the VPD said the new charges against Ali stem from alleged incidents in the weeks leading up to the fires on April 1. Ali was charged on April 2 with one count of arson in relation to inhabited property, and one count of possession of incendiary material after he allegedly entered the Langara College with improvised incendiary devices.

At least two devices were detonated, causing fires before the suspect fled the area. He was arrested later that day in Surrey.

One of the devices ignited near a teacher’s office in T Building.

T Building was filled with students writing final exams and caused a mass evacuation of the

college by heavily armed police units.

Both Ali’s parents and brother appeared in the public gallery.

The bail hearing will continue April 10.